NEW DELHI: Kozhikode, the coastal city in Kerala, and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, have joined the coveted club of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the ‘literature’ and ‘music’ categories respectively. New cities were acknowledged for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning, the UN body stated.
With the latest additions, the network now has 350 cities in more than 100 countries, representing seven creative fields; crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts and music. On World Cities Day on Tuesday, 55 cities join UCCN, after their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, the statement stated.
“The cities in our Creative Cities Network are leading the way when it comes to enhancing access to culture and galvanising the power of creativity for urban resilience and development,” said Azoulay. Following the declaration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings to people of both the cities. “India’s cultural vibrancy shines brighter on the global stage with Kozhikode’s rich literary legacy and Gwalior’s melodious heritage now joining the esteemed UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Congratulations to the people of Kozhikode and Gwalior on this remarkable achievement! As we celebrate this international recognition, our nation reaffirms its commitment to preserving and promoting our diverse cultural traditions,” read his post on X.
Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said it is a proud moment. “These cities get acknowledged & recognition for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity. Congratulations to all stakeholders!” he wrote on X. The newly designated cities will cooperate with Network members to strengthen their resilience in the face of evolving threats such as climate change, rising inequality, and rapid urbanisation, with 68 per cent of the world’s population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, said UNESCO.
Across the world
Some of the other cities that were announced as the latest additions to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network on Tuesday are Asaba (Film/Nigeria), Buffalo City (Literature/US), Bukhara (Crafts and Folk Art/Uzbekistan), Casablanca (Media Arts/Morocco), Hobart (Literature/Australia), Kathmandu (Film/Nepal), Taif (Literature/Saudi Arabia) and Ulaanbaatar (Crafts and Folk Art/ Mongolia).